What makes online brand communities successful? This is what Mirjam Lasthuizen is researching for her PhD at the University of Twente. For many organizations, it turns out to be difficult to realize participation and social interaction, despite the benefits for both providers and participants of online brand communities. With her PhD, Mirjam wants to find out how participation in online brand communities is achieved, what factors from the communities, brands and participants play a role and what the effects of participation in online brand communities are.

Mirjam Lasthuizen

Contact

For more information, please contact via phone or e-mail.

06-28303365

mirjam.lasthuizen@nhlstenden.com

After studying business economics at the RuG, Mirjam worked for 16 years at various companies in the business and financial services sector in the field of marketing and research. Since 2009, she has been working as a lecturer at the bachelor's program Communication and associate degree program Online Content Creator at the NHL Stenden University. Besides teaching, she has been active as a lecturer researcher at the RAAK project Social Civil Communities and at the professorship Social Media and Reputation Management. As of 2019, she has been affiliated with the Organisations and Social Media professorship.

Working with students to research online interactions with the aim of creating the right content for the target audience, provides surprising insights for the students, clients and the professorship!

Publications

Within the framework of the PhD trajectory, two articles have been sent to scientific journals (see below). Mirjam has also written several whitepapers with colleagues within the RAAK project and the professorship Social media and reputation management.

  • Lasthuizen M.N., Van de Wijngaert, L., Van Dijk, J.A.G.M. (2021), Content, Product and Brand Characteristics as Drivers of Consumer Engagement in Online Brand Communities: a Content Analysis of Facebook Fan Pages.
  • Lasthuizen M.N., Van de Wijngaert, L., Van Dijk, J.A.G.M. (2021). Towards a Framework on Participation in Online Brand Communities: A Network Based Literature Review.

Professorship